This invention is directed to radiation couplers more particularly to a radiation coupler for coupling radiation from a single fiber optic data transmission line to another single fiber optic data transmission line while permitting a controlled amount of radiation to be coupled off to another transmission line.
Heretofore optical radiation couplers have been used in multimode optical fiber transmission lines to couple radiation from one or more lines to other lines by use of straight through couplers, T-couplers, etc. Optical radiation has been transmitted over single fiber optic-lines in ornamental designs, in hairpieces, in optical systems in automobiles, and airplanes as well as other areas.
Optical data communication systems have been proposed for transmitting data over fiber optic lines from one point to another. In transmitting data, couplers are used to couple broken lines together, to couple radiation to other lines, to add radiation and to take off radiation for transmission to other points. Optical radiation is normally transmitted over a multimode fiber optic bundle which requires couplers for the same.